With Christmas just days away, holiday meals are being
prepared all over the world in celebration of the big day. Most Christmas
dinners have their share of baked ham, turkey, macaroni and cheese, sides of
vegetables, and eggnog. Louisiana holiday dinners feature many traditional
dishes, but, of course, they also offer dishes that have origins throughout
Louisiana and New Orleans. According to delish.com,
gumbo is Louisiana's most iconic Christmas dish and has been a Christmas
favorite around many dinner tables throughout the state. Seafood dishes are
also common, which is not unusual, but around this time of year, a hot seafood
dish is especially enjoyed as the weather cools down. A great present this year
can be a nice, stress-free meal courtesy of one of New Orleans's restaurants
that are open on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day to serve holiday dinner this
year. Whether someone has a gumbo craving, desires Creole favorites, or is eager
to try a new dish, here is a list of five spots offering tasty holiday meals
that everyone can enjoy.
Copper Vine
Copper Vine
is a wine pub proclaimed as one of New Orleans's favorite wine bars. Offering
30 aromatic and delicious wines, Copper Vine also has beautiful décor that
serves as a great space to have excellent glasses of wine in a relaxing
atmosphere. Copper Vine serves brunch, lunch, dinner, and dessert and offers Happy
Hour for all patrons to enjoy their dish or drink of choice. For a delectable
Christmas dinner, Copper Vine's menu includes options such as chicken and
boudin gumbo, wild American shrimp and grits, seared Gulf fish, glazed pork
chops, steak frites, semolina gnocchi with duck confit, and many others. Their
menu also has a host of soups, salads, snacks, and sharables that can be
accompanied with their varied selection of wines, beers, and cocktails. 1001
Poydras St., (504) 208-9535, coppervinewine.com
Tommy's Cuisine
For an appetizing Italian-Creole dinner, look no
further than Tommy's
Cuisine, which is open for dine-in, takeout, and delivery for Christmas
dinner. Dinner can be complete with a glass or bottle of wine, with 50% off
wine bottles and great selections from their extensive wine collection. Tommy's
Cuisine also has family meals and offers Réveillon this year—multicourse meals that
include an appetizer, pasta, entrée, and dessert for $45 until December 23. Their
Christmas Day menu is available on both Christmas Day, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.,
and Christmas Eve, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. For Christmas dinner, delicious
options such as Cajun fried turkey, chicken and andouille gumbo, appetizers,
soups and salads, and pastas (such as crawfish and Louisiana blue crab capri)
are on the menu. Also consider trying some of Tommy's Italian classics, such as
chicken marsala and grilled filet mignon. 746
Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 581-1103,
tommyscuisine.com
Josephine Estelle
Located in Ace Hotel, Josephine Estelle
is offering their Feast of Seven Fishes menu, an Italian-American celebration of
seafood and fish dishes on Christmas Eve. Josephine Estelle will be open for
regular dinner hours that day, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Seaworthy, also located
in the hotel, will also be open for Christmas Eve dinner, from 4 p.m. to 11
p.m. The Feast of Seven Fishes menu will be a
supplement to the regular menu at both restaurants. The four-course dinner will
be $65 per person, beginning with a first course of tuna crudo with
olive confit, satsuma, spicy trout roe, Meyer
lemon aioli, and sourdough. The second course includes a delicious squid-ink gemelli
pasta with octopus Bolognese and salsa verde. Their third course is American red snapper alongside
cauliflower, blue crab, baby mustard, and ancho beurre noisette sauce. Make room after dinner for a tasty dessert
of honey peanut tart with miso ice cream and candied kombu. 600 Carondelet St., (504) 930-3070, josephineestelle.com
Bar Marilou
This
French-style bar located in the Maison de la Luz hotel serves up creative
cocktails alongside great plates of food. Bar Marilou's menu has tasty fall eats to indulge in, such as kaluga
royal caviar; their Saint Jacques dish, including seared scallops, endive salad
with apples, cauliflower, and pomegranate; and their gougères aux époisses (French cheese puffs). Bar Marilou
also offers artisan ice cream to satisfy a sweet-tooth craving for dessert, and
their seasonal menu has new cocktails to accompany the food or to be enjoyed by
themselves. Bar Marilou's plates and drinks are original and perfect to enjoy
in their great atmosphere. Tickets are also available for purchase for Bar
Marilou's "Out of This World: A Celestial New Year Celebration" on New Year's
Eve, for those looking to ring in 2021 with a bang. 544 Carondelet St., (504) 814-7711, barmarilou.com
Luke
Luke invites patrons to enjoy the
holidays at their restaurant, no matter how big or small the celebration.
Luke's Réveillon
dinner menu with multicourse meals ends on Christmas Day, and what better way
to spend a holiday than with a delicious dinner? On Christmas Day, Luke is
serving a four-course meal for $60 per person, with a first course of hot
buttered crab claws with garlic French bread. Their second course of
Grandmother's Turtle Soup is sure to satisfy every homemade dinner desire and
is served with Pedro Ximenez sherry wine and pressed egg. Their third course
features mayhaw-glazed ham shank with kase
spatzle and collard green choucroute.
For a dessert indulgence, Luke's bourbon chocolate pot de crème with whipped eggnog and hazelnut crumble will nicely
finish off a delicious dinner. 333 St.
Charles Ave., (504) 378-2840, lukeneworleans.com
